The Double Faced Moon
by Lucianna Gene
Summary: The gang meets a new girl at Cadic...and Odd finds out her secret. Will he and her be able to keep it from the others and still be able to keep on saving Earth? Read on!
1. Surprise Surprise

**The Double Faced Moon**

_A Code Lyoko Fan Fiction_

_**Chapter 1** _

The drawer below a single, twin sized bed slid out, bringing with it a bit of steam (you know, the steam that billows out when an electronic works really hard?). A dark strawberry blonde teenager sat up with a grunt, then a groan. Her T-shirt– black with the words FBI: SPECIAL OPS– and dark green PE shorts were wet from the steam, and the fact she had slept under her bed in that small scanner chamber yet again. This made the count up to 12 days in a row. Her bed– made up with blue and white sheets– lay perfect and neat as the day she had arrived at the boarding school– she didn't sleep in it at all.

The first few months she had been there, she had dedicated most of her time– when not doing schoolwork– building the scanner shelf beneath her bed. The drawer had been lined with a few yoga mats for comfort; a flat computer screen fit beneath her bed frame, the wiring so thick, it made up most of the bed frame.

"Ugh!" she moaned. "Better get ready."

She pulled her tired feet over to the small wardrobe, taking a pair of black, flexible jeans from their hanger, then a black net undershirt (complete with built in bra), then a dark, Elf green tunic top. Brushing her hair, she grabbed her book bag– complete with finished homework assignments– and headed out the door.

Her boots made a _thump thump _on the carpeted floor as she made her way over to the mess hall. When the bell rang, the _thumps_became repetitive and faster. Outside the mess hall doors, she crashed into someone, causing them both to fall backwards.

"Watch it, punk!" Luna swore, checking her laptop inside of her bag. Nothing broken.

"You watch it! I was walking here!" the boy– for that was indeed whome she had crashed into– shot back.

Luna Gene stood up, her storm blue eyes looking the boy up and down. He wore a purple over shirt over a lighter, more pink shirt. The over shirt only showed the undershirt through the slight V-neck. His pants were the same color as the over shirt. His hair drew back into a...almost a blonde teardrop from his head, ending in a point. It had a purple, similar teardrop in front of it, only smaller.

"Great, I'm going to be late, _again_." Luna pushed passed him into the cafeteria.

She got in line for breakfast, grabbing a tray and following the person in front of her.

"Morning, Ms. Early Bird," the lunch lady, Rosa, greeted her.

"Morning ma'am," Luna replied.

"Cereal and a banana today?"

"The usual, yeah."

"Really, Luna, you need more variety in your diet."

"Why change what works?" She got her food and went to sit at her usual table by the window.

She sat down and started slicing her banana. She had gotten halfway through when the boy she had crashed into in the hallway sat down in front if her. Luna saw a group of four give him a questioning look from across the room.

"Hi," he said. "Remember me, crashed in the hallway?"

"Not hard," she replied, curtly. "You made me late."

"By a few seconds!"

"Timing is key in life." Luna finished slicing her banana. "Without a proper meter, there is no order, and the order must be obeyed."

"What are you, a robot?" He asked this through a big bite of bagel. "I'm Odd by the way."

"You'd have to be to dress like that."

"I didn't catch your name."

"It's Luna."

He nodded. The group of four joined their table. They all sat around Odd, and Luna didn't care.

"You new to the school?"

"My father sent me here a few months ago, I just recently got accepted here after a bit of private tutoring."

"Wow, are you a genius or something?"

"Not in the least."

The three girls and two boys around Odd gave him a piercing look. He shrugged and scratched the back of his head.

"Uh, this is Yumi, Ulrich, Jeremy, and Aileta." He introduced. "Everyone, this is Luna."

"Pleasure," Luna said, talking out her laptop, she slid her cereal bowl to the side.

Jeremy, a blonde youth with big, round glasses, noticed almost immediately.

"Nice model, where's it from?"

"Not here," Luna responded.

An alarm beep began sounding from the computer.

"Dammit!" Luna swore. "Not again."

"What?" Odd asked.

"Oh, I'm going to be late again. And I didn't even finish breakfast."

Yumi looked at Luna crossly.

"It's your own fault," she said. "Don't waste so much time with your computer."

"I would have had time," Luna shot back. "If your Odd pal hadn't made me a minute or so late!"

Yumi scowled. She turned on her black-booted heel and walked off with the rest of the group.

Odd looked between his group and Luna. "See you later, then, Luna." Then he too, ran off.

Luna looked after him for a moment. Why wasn't he phased by her obvious annoyance with him? She could usually get guys to stay away from her, but this boy was different. Had she been too harsh, or not enough? If it were either he would have picked up on it and made a move accordingly. Although, if he took it another way...

"Gross!" Luna nearly barfed.

Shouldering her book bag, she headed off to class.

* * *

Her head slumped further into her hand as the teacher went on and on about who did this is such-and-such year. It was all so BORING. 

She heard a stifled laugh and looked around to see Sissy, the principal's daughter, talking to one of her friends. Luna sat up a little straighter as the teacher turned around.

"Is something funny, Sissy?" he asked.

"No, sir!" she replied in a sweet tone. "I was simply saying how pale the new girl looks, and how if she's so pale, she should go to the infirmary."

At this the teacher peered closely at Luna. It was true she had a pale sheen to her face, but that was due to lack of sleep.

"Have you been sleeping well, Ms. Gene?" he asked.

"Well, sir, I– no, sir."

"I see," he looked around. "Della Robbia, please escort Ms. Gene to the infirmary."

Odd looked up from his almost-subtly executed paper football game.

"But sir," he began.

"That's not optional," the teacher said sternly.

Odd got up.

* * *

Luna walked with her head down, hands in pockets. She had on a pair of dark blue sunglasses. Her eyes kept flicking back and forth behind them, like she was reading a computer screen. 

Carrying her bag, Odd walked beside her. Both were as silent as a ghost town. Odd spoke after a while:

"So, what school did you go to before this?"

"I was home schooled."

"By who?"

"My mother."

"What happened that you came here?"

"She died, and my dad didn't want me and my sister around the house when my brothers were off in colleges. So he sent me and her to different schools far away, where he wouldn't see us."

"Sounds like he doesn't like you."

"No, he doesn't. Once he got my brothers, he was happy."

"Harsh."

They arrived at the infirmary.

"Hey Dorothy," Odd said, poking his head in the door. "Luna needs a lie down, she isn't feeling well."

"Of course," Dorothy, the school nurse, helped ease Luna onto a bed. "Any fever, lack of nutrition?"

"I feel fine," Luna mumbled, not meeting either of their eyes.

"You don't look fine," Dorothy looked at Luna's pale pallor. "You look like you're a living zombie. How much sleep have you been getting?"

Luna paused. Her eyes widened a bit as she slid the glasses she wore to the top of her head– sufficing for a headband. She said the first number that popped into her head:

"Six hours."

"No wonder you're so pale!" Dorothy sighed.

Taking out a thermometer, she stuck it under Luna's tongue.

"Temp is normal," she read the meter. "Odd, what did she have for breakfast this morning?"

"Uhh..." Odd stammered. "Cereal with a banana."

"Did she finish it?"

Odd looked from Dorothy to Luna. Luna's head was down, and her eyes were glassy. Asleep sitting up.

"No, ma'am, she didn't."

"I see." Dorothy looked at Luna's sleeping doll form.

She put Luna in a horizontal position, and covered her with the bed sheets up to her chin.

"She'll need a few hours rest, Odd. Come check in at lunch break."

* * *

_She looked aver at the man sitting on an iceberg in the center of the small island they seemed to be floating on in...the digital sea?_

"_Where are we, Damion?" Luna asked him._

"_In a suspended dream sequence," he answered, "made by me out of your memories of the Heart of Ko."_

"_But this looks like the back entrance to Ko, through the Chi dome."_

"_It is...you _have_taken this route before."_

"_I'm not saying I haven't, brother, but–"_

"_But nothing. I have come to give you some advice."_

"_Oh yeah? An ex-demonic Saturnian giving _me_advice?"_

"_Laugh all you want; you have to start opening up to the Lyoko Warriors."_

"_How?"_

"_I don't care how! You figure it out!"_

_In a spark from his snapped fingers, he vanished–_

* * *

– and she woke up in the infirmary. 

"You gave us a scare," Odd said from the chair beside her bed.

Luna looked aver at him. The chair was backwards, and he leaned forward on it, concerned.

"They didn't worry," she sighed. "No one ever does."

"I did."

"You shouldn't. It would make you look crazy."

"Then maybe I am!" Odd frowned. "Isn't the world allowed to care about someone? If it can, then why can't I?"

"You're not the world, Odd!" Luna sat up. "We can't play God!"

Her fists clenched as a wave of nausea swept over her. She refused to lie back down, instead she supported herself on an arm as she swung her legs off of the bed.

"We may not be able to, but we try, and that's got to count for something."

"Running around stopping all the weird shit that happens here is only saving_this_part of the world. It's a small portion."

"It's all we can save right now."

Luna shook her head, smiling.

"What if he starts too many things, in different places, what then?"

Odd stared at her.

"Why do you think it has anything to do with a 'he'?"

"Follow me."

They left just as Dorothy popped out of her office. Before she could say anything, they had disappeared down the hall.

* * *

"We're in your room." Odd looked around. "So what?" 

"So this," Luna opened up the drawer beneath her bed.

Odd looked underneath. He saw the wiring, the computer, the yoga mats, and the headset connected to the flat screen of the computer.

"What's all of this for?" he asked, still looking.

"Saving the world. At least all of the world I can through the sectors, and worlds I've uncovered."

Odd nearly hit his head coming out of the scanner. He gawked at her.

"You don't mean– ?"

"Lyoko warrior, ring a bell?"

* * *

"This is so cool!" Odd exclaimed as they walked to class. 

"It's not a game, and the others can't find out."

"Why not?"

Luna stopped. Crossing her arms, she gave Odd a 'you've got to be kidding' look.

"One: Yumi seems to hate my guts right now. Two: I work alone. I can help you guys on Lyoko, but there's only so much of you I can handle. I won't spend my school career failing every class because I choose to take the easy way out. Even with a return to the past, you still manage to fail, Odd. I work my butt off at this school. I've convinced the principal and a court judge to write me a letter to allow me to get my drivers' license early so I can stay on top of everything."

"What?! You can drive?"

"Yes, and very well. The point is, Odd: If I mingle with a suspicious lot, I won't be able to keep my cover. Eventually I'll be found out, and they'll put me in a lab."

Odd cocked his head to the side, looking puzzled, then he smiled.

"Not from around Earth, are ya?"

"No."

"Where from?"

"Not a digital world, if that's what you're asking. Now stop asking questions, we need to get to class."

* * *

Later that night, Luna lay on the floor looking up at the ceiling, when her cell phone rang. 

"Hello?" she answered.

"Hey, Luna!" Odd's annoyingly chipper voice replied.

"Where did you get this number?" she sat up abruptly, peeved. "Only the principal has this number."

"I snuck in and copied it from his files," Odd said. "Look, I didn't call to argue; the gang and I are going to Lyoko to take care of a replica tonight if you want to come and help. I could talk to Jeremy about it–"

"No, Odd, I'll come in my own way. Where's the replica?"

"I don't know, can you track a signal?"

"Yeah."

They hung up, and Luna climbed into her scanner.

* * *

"Why must I come along?" Damion asked, as he and Luna made their way through the tunnel. 

"Because," Luna answered, "I can't go through the Chi Tunnel without you; it only recognizes you."

"But other than that, there's no other reason I'm here? No other reason you'd be hanging out with me?"

Luna stopped, eyes downcast.

"That's not what I meant."

"It was implied."

They moved forward. At the end of the tunnel, Luna saw Sector Five, and the skid. The four Lyoko warriors were getting into position to get on. Using her power of invisibility, Luna ran forward and got on the fifth dock, just as the others were being transported in.

_Till we meet again, brother. _She said silently.

_Until then. _His presence disappeared.

* * *

_Odd!_Luna yelled. 

"What the?!" Odd looked around in his skid-pod.

"Something wrong Odd?" Aileta asked.

"No, nothing. Just thought I heard something."

The skid continued on in silence for a moment, before:

"There's someone else in the skid!" Aileta said.

"Who?" Yumi asked.

"I can't tell," Aileta answered, "but it isn't something from Lyoko. It's from Earth!"

"Blue Moon?" Odd asked.

Silence. No one talked as the skid moved silently through the digital sea.

"Yeah, it's me," Luna answered.

"Who is she, Odd?" Ulrich asked.

"A friend I made last time we were here," Odd lied. "She's been fighting on another part of the digital spectrum for a while now, and when I told her about our replica spree, she offered to help."

Aileta maneuvered the skid into position in front of the replica.

"She can help, but you watch her, Odd."

"You betcha!" Odd beamed


	2. Breaking the Habit

**Double Faced Moon– Chapter 2**

Luna skidded to a halt at the edge of an ice section. The exercise didn't tire her out, but the blocks behind her would.

An arrow hit the block from behind, right in the eye. It blew up.

"Uh, thanks?" she smiled as Odd put his arm down.

"Don't mention it." He shrugged.

Aileta stood by the skid, her arms folded.

"Hey guys, this isn't some game, you know. We're here to destroy the replicas, not play hero to each other."

"But Xana won't let us rest, so if one of us is in trouble, we kinda _have _to play hero." Odd objected.

"Protecting the skid is top priority." Blue Moon– Luna– interjected. "Playing hero is merely a bonus to the first and only real job."

Aileta rolled her eyes. It seemed the newest group member was always trying to play favorites.

Ulrich and Yumi materialized in front of the tower.

"Done, let's go!" Ulrich said.

"My pleasure," Jeremy materialized them into their spots in the skid. "Prepare for the journey home, guys."

The skid departed, and off they went.

* * *

"I thought that mission would never end," Luna grouched at lunch later that same day.

"Don't sweat it," Odd bit into his banana. "Missions can take anywhere between five to thirty minutes, you just have to know how to pass the time between Xana's minion attacks."

None of the others said anything. Everyone in the group besides Odd had been giving Luna the cold shoulder lately. Not that they knew anymore about who she was than what the school records told them, but she had a fleeting suspicion Jeremy had done a bit more digging.

"I modified the skid so it has more shield power," Jeremy said. "Also, when each of the mini-skids break off, they each get a fourth of the shield power, and the skid itself will still have enough power left to itself."

"Cool," Yumi smiled.

"That's amazing." Luna took out a blank sheet of paper. "The mathematical and computer knowledge needed for such a project." She started to draw and formulate. "The power of the skid could be way more powerful, but the additions must be done in intervals, or else they might blow it up. But if the configurations are as Jeremy originally..." Her voice drifted off into an even more inaudible mumble.

The five friends looked at one another, then at Luna, quizzical. But none showed any real interest in what she was proposing. Even Jeremy and Aileta looked detached as they all got up and left the table.

Luna finished her calculations, and stuffed the paper hurriedly into her bag. Hearing the bell, she ran out of the cafeteria. She didn't notice the paper fall out of her bag as she bumped into Jim.

"Uhh, sorry, Jim!" she flushed a bit. "I didn't, I–"

"Running in the cafeteria?" Jim shook his head. "Really, Luna, I would have expected better from you."

"I didn't mean to run into you Jim, I was just going to my room. I have some calculations to input into my computer, and it's nearly dead of battery, so–"

"That is still no excuse to be running in the cafeteria." Jim pointed out, arms folded. "Since you're a good kid, I'll let it slide, but if I catch you again, it'll be detention."

"Yes, sir."

She started to walk past him, when he grabbed her shoulder.

"Don't get involved with Ulrich and the others. Jeremy's a smart kid, but his loyalties are a bit backwards. Keep your hands clean of their deeds, Luna."

She nodded and kept walking.

* * *

Back in her room, she plugged in her laptop.

"Okay, baby," she whispered, "run that simulation for me again."

The materialization of Ulrich and Yumi came up on the screen. White text– mathematical formulas– started scrolling down the screen as soon as the video clip began to play. A knock at the door made Luna jump.

"Hey," Odd came in on the second knock. "You left lunch in a hurry."

"I had no reason to stay any longer," Luna kept her gaze on the screen.

"Why do you do that??"

"What?"

"Brush everything off like it shouldn't effect anyone. There is someone in this school besides the staff that looks out for you, you know!"

"A few days ago, you didn't know I even existed, I was just another kid in the crowd to you!" Luna set her computer down on her bed. "And now you want to act like you care?!"

She stood up. He stood up too. He reached to about her shoulder, so she had a good glaring height on him.

"I don't see why you don't want people to care." Odd said.

"Because the person who cared for me most is dead, and my sister isn't at this school. My eldest brother is an evil bastard, and my other brother I barely see! I have no reason to expect anything from anyone, and when someone shows any interest in me, I instinctively fade into the background, and they lose interest!"

"Well, I'm not."

"That's the whole point!" Luna could feel her eyes tingle as the tears threatened to come. "You waltz into my life and shatter all the work I've done over the years. My walls are crumbling. The interest I've shown the rest of the world, while at the same time keeping aloof, is gone. I can't think straight when I'm around you, I–"

He grabbed her arm and pulled her down onto the bed again.

"It's all right," he said. "I feel the same way."

He pulled her face towards his and gave her a kiss.

She let her eyes close. The kiss didn't last long, but that was a good thing. The next thing she knew, the principal and a man with short-cropped black hair, black turtleneck, pants, and boots stood in the doorway to her room.

Luna's face drained of color.

"Ms. Gene," the principal cleared his throat. "Your father and I would like a word."

Odd looked between the two men and Luna. His face showed shock, and puzzlement.

"Dimitri," Luna whispered so only Odd could hear. "He's my father, and a psycho bastard. Go to the others, and stay with them. If I come back to school after this, thank the Gods."

She got up and followed the men out of the room.

* * *

"I have come to take my daughter home," Dimitri said as soon as the door to the principal's office was closed.

Luna shrugged, she had expected this. She pulled out a pouch necklace from under her shirt and took out a folded piece of paper.

"That's all fine and well, Dimitri," she said. "But I'm afraid under the ruling of the court, I can live with whomever I please. And I choose to live here at Cadic."

"I am your father and legal guardian!" Dimitri snarled.

"My father is dead to me!"

The principal pulled at his collar, and moved to open the window.

"I see there is some business to take care of," he moved toward the door, "so I'll wait outside while you two figure things out."

He left.

Luna glared at her biological father. How she loathed him. He was the reason she had been sent to Earth. The reason her mother, the Lady Magistrate Harriet of Saturn, had died at a relatively young age, in Saturnian years. Approximately seventy-eight Earth years.

It was his fault her own twin sister had not enrolled with her at Cadic, stayed by her side to protect Ko and Lyoko.

"Why are you here?" Luna asked.

Dimitri moved over to the desk, and sat down in the chair. He laced his fingers under his chin and put his elbows on the desk top.

"To take you home. Your sister returned already, but I am afraid that without you, her twin and other half, neither she nor you can ascend to the Throne. Your brother Damion has taken vigil of the Planet since your mother's...ehem...departure, and Dianne is quite convinced that you need to come home. We all miss you."

"Like hell." she crossed her arms. "You just want me to be another Saturnian puppet, like putty in your evil claws."

"I assure you, my demon days are quite behind me!" Dimitri put his hands up in a gesture of surrender. "But I confess, having you home would give me some leverage with our people."

"My people." Luna growled.

"Well, really they are my and Damion's people, as neither you nor your sister can reclaim your rights as Heirs without both of you being there and my consent, which I have not given."

"Let Dianne take the Throne, I don't want it!"

* * *

Odd sat outside of the principal's office, legs crossed on the bench, arms folded, head lightly tapping back on the wall. The principal paced back and forth, a nervous look on his face. From a glance at his watch, he guessed they had been in there at least fifteen minutes.

"Why are you here, Odd?" he asked.

"I'm waiting for Luna. She can't leave Cadic, can she, sir?"

"If her father has legal custody over her, then yes, he can take her out of school."

"But that's not fair! He should let her fi–"

The both froze and looked toward the door as they heard Luna scream in frustration.

"PISS OFF!" they heard her yell at her father before she stormed out of the office.

Dimitri was right on her heels, a smug grin on his face.

"As your father, that money can be accessed and taken control of by me."

"Not according to court rule it doesn't!" Luna pulled another paper out of the pouch around her neck. "Do you want to know where mom went before she went back home? Here! She came here and made sure Dianne and I had the legality to live on our own and access our own bank accounts! She got court approval for me to get my drivers license, and an apartment had I need of one. I can legally live on my own– without you! I don't need to have you breathing down my neck anymore!"

Silence followed her words. The four occupants of the room did not move or speak for several minutes. Odd shifted in his seat after five minutes. The principal cleared his throat.

"May I see those papers, Luna?"

She handed them to him without taking her eyes off her father.

"Everything seems to be in order," the principal handed them back to her. "I am sorry, Mr Gene, but it appears that Luna is right: she can legally live on her own. And from what I understand you left her family a few years ago for...health?"

"That's right," Dimitri regained composure. "I did not feel I could perform well as a father under my ill state, so I left to get well, and when I came back they wanted nothing to do with me."

Out of the corner of his eye, Odd saw Yumi, Aelita, Jeremy, and Ulrich stop outside the doorway to the room. He pretended not to.

"It's your fault mom died!" Luna was now shaking, her hands in fists at her sides. "She loved you, and you left– so it's your fault! She died out of love for you!"

"I could do nothing about that," Dimitri said, calmly. "You know the state I was in."

"If you hadn't been fooling around the way you had! maybe it would have been better. You could have stayed and mom wouldn't have died; my siblings and I wouldn't have had to split up, and Dianne would be here right now!"

"I have no control over your sister's actions!"

"But you can think just how _your _actions can make other's lives a living hell!"

The principal stepped in between them.

"That is enough!" he said firmly. "Really, Luna, I would have never guessed!"

Luna ignored him, glaring at her father.

"Last chance, Lucianna," he threatened.

"Damn you to the Darkness," Luna replied.

"Very well," Dimitri turned to the principal. "Thank you for letting me see my daughter, sir. I shall now take my leave."

He walked past them, out the door past the four kids, and disappeared around the corner.

Luna stormed out of the room too, and headed for her room.

* * *

She was sitting on her bed when Odd came in an hour later.

"How are you?" he asked, leaning in the doorframe.

"I'm as tense as a wound spring," She opened one eye. "Come in, and close the door."

He did, and pulled up the desk chair to sit by the bed.

Silence enveloped the room for a few moments. Then the door opened and Aelita, Jeremy, Ulrich, and Yumi came in. They each took places on the floor or leaning on a wall.

Still, no one spoke.

"How are you?" Jeremy asked.

"Don't you start too." Luna mumbled.

"We heard your argument with your dad," Yumi said, "Is there anything we can do?"

"Not really."

"What was it about?" Aelita asked.

"My mother's Will," Luna replied. "It says some things that my fa– _Dimitri_– doesn't agree with. But I was entrusted with it after my mother passed away because he wasn't there. So I kept it and followed it to the letter, and he's not okay with that."

Ulrich nodded.

"So what does it say?"

Luna pulled it out of the pouch and tossed it to him.

_The Will and Testament of Lady Magistrate Queen Harriet of Saturn_

_I, Harriet Gene, of the Palace of Monarchs, Saturn, declare this to be my will, and I revoke _

_all other wills and codicils._

_I. EXECUTORS_

_I appoint my daughters, Dianne and Lucianna, to serve _

_as the executor of my estate. If my daughters should fail or _

_cease to serve, I appoint Damion and Setthire to _

_serve together as the executors of my estate._

_II. PERSONAL EFFECTS_

_I give all of my jewelry, clothing, books, photographs, _

_furniture and furnishings, appliances, and other personal and _

_household items, together with all policies insuring those items, _

_to my children, Lucianna, Dianne, Damion, and Setthire, if they survive me by _

_thirty days. If my children do not so survive me, I give _

_all those items to those of my grand-children who survive me by thirty _

_days, to be divided between or among them as they may agree._

_III. RESIDUARY ESTATE_

_I give all the rest of my estate to my daughter, _

_Lucianna, if she survives me by thirty days. If my _

_daughter does not so survive me, I give all the rest of my _

_estate to my three remaining children, in equal shares. However, the share of _

_each child of mine who does not survive me by thirty days shall _

_be distributed to my grand-children who survive me by thirty days, _

_those issue to take per strips, or, if there is no such issue, _

_the deceased child's share shall be divided among my other _

_children and distributed to them (or their issue)._

_IV. MINOR OR DISABLED BENEFICIARIES_

_A. I appoint as guardians of all property which is owned _

_by a minor or passes to a minor and for which the law permits me _

_to appoint a guardian by my will, regardless of whether the minor _

_acquires the property under my will or in some other way, the _

_same persons I have appointed as executors. The guardians may _

_use the principle as well as the income of the property for the _

_minor's health, maintenance, support, and education, as the _

_guardians, in their sole discretion, from time to time consider _

_advisable. No guardian shall be required to file bond or enter _

_security in any jurisdiction and, whenever appropriate, the _

_provisions of my will which apply to my executors shall also _

_apply to my guardians, including (but not limited to) the _

_provisions for management powers._

_B. Notwithstanding the preceding paragraph or any other _

_provision of my will, whenever my executors are authorized or _

_directed to distribute any income or principal to any _

_beneficiary who is less than twenty-one years of age, has been _

_declared incompetent by a court, or is considered by my _

_executors, in their discretion, to be unable to manage his or _

_her own financial affairs:_

_1. My executors may apply the income or principal _

_directly for the purposes expressed or, if no purposes are _

_expressed, for the health, maintenance, support, education, or _

_other expenses of the beneficiary, by direct payment of expenses _

_or by distribution to any person caring for the beneficiary, _

_without the approval of any court or any guardian or other _

_fiduciary, and without any liability for those applications._

_2. My executors need not distribute any income or _

_principal to the beneficiary, or to any guardian or other _

_representative of the beneficiary, but may retain the income or _

_principal in a separate trust for the beneficiary and distribute _

_or apply as much of the income and principal as my executors, in _

_their sole discretion, from time to time consider advisable for _

_the health, maintenance, support, education, or other expenses _

_of the beneficiary, without the approval of any court or any _

_guardian or other fiduciary, and without any liability for those _

_applications. The undistributed balance of income and principal _

_shall be distributed to the beneficiary when the reason for _

_withholding the income and principal ends, or to the personal _

_representatives of the beneficiary's estate upon the death of _

_the beneficiary._

_3. My executors may distribute the income or _

_principal to any individual, bank, or trust company (including _

_any of my executors) appointed by my executors as a custodian _

_for the beneficiary under the Uniform Transfers to Minors Act if _

_the beneficiary is less than twenty-one years of age and the _

_appointment and distribution are permitted by law._

_V. PROTECTIVE PROVISION_

_Until actual distribution to a beneficiary, no income or _

_principle, or any interest in any income or principle, may be _

_sold, assigned, pledged, or otherwise disposed of in any way by _

_the beneficiary, and no income or principal shall be subject to _

_any attachment or other interference by any legal or equitable _

_procedure._

_VI. TAXES_

_My executors shall pay from my residuary estate all death _

_taxes payable by reason of my death with respect to all property _

_and interests passing under my will. To the fullest extent _

_allowable by law or any governing instrument, my executors shall _

_recover from any property or interest passing outside of my will _

_all other death taxes which my executors may be required to pay _

_by reason of my death._

_VII. POWERS OF EXECUTORS_

_In addition to the powers given to them by law or by other _

_provisions of my will, my executors shall have the following _

_powers, which they may exercise as often as they consider _

_advisable, and until final distribution, without having to seek _

_or obtain approval from any court:_

_A. To retain any property comprising a part of my estate, _

_and to retain and to invest in all forms of real and personal _

_property, regardless of (1) any limitations imposed by law on _

_investments by executors, (2) any principle of law concerning _

_delegation of investment responsibility, and (3) any principle _

_of law concerning investment diversification._

_B. To sell at public or private sale, to grant options _

_on, to exchange, or otherwise to dispose of any property._

_C. To repair, alter, subdivide, or improve any property._

_D. To compromise, or submit to arbitration, any claims, _

_including any arising as a result of my death._

_E. To renew, or to extend the time for the debtor to pay, _

_any obligation._

_F. To pay the cost of perpetual care of my gravesite as _

_an expense of my estate._

_IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have set my hand on May 27, _

_2000._

_Harriet Gene_

_In our presence, Harriet Gene signed this instrument and_

_declared it to be her will, and we, at her request, in _

_her presence, and in the presence of each other, have signed _

_it as witnesses._

_Lucianna Gene Palace of Monarchs, Saturn_

_Dianne Gene Palace of Monarchs, Saturn _

_ACKNOWLEDGEMENT_

_COMMONWEALTH OF SATURN :_

_JURISDICTION OF THE SYSTEM:_

_I, Harriet Gene, the testator, whose name is signed to_

_the attached or foregoing instrument, having been duly qualified _

_according to law, do hereby acknowledge that I signed and _

_executed the instrument as my last will; that I signed it _

_willingly; and that I signed it as my free and voluntary act for _

_the purposes therein expressed._

_Harriet Gene_

_Sworn or affirmed to and acknowledged before me by _

_Harriet Gene, the testator, this May day of the 27__th__,_

_2000._

_Adrien Witlenspon, Presiding Judge_

_COMMONWEALTH OF SATURN :_

_JURISDICTION OF THE SYSTEM :_

_We, Lucianna and Dianne, the_

_witnesses whose names are signed to the attached or foregoing _

_instrument, being duly qualified according to law, do depose and _

_say that we were present and saw the testator sign and execute _

_the instrument as her last will; that she signed willingly _

_and that she executed it as her free and voluntary act for _

_the purposes therein expressed; that each of us in the hearing _

_and sight of the testator signed the will as witnesses; and that _

_to the best of our knowledge the testator was at the time 18 or _

_more years of age, of sound mind and under no constraint or _

_undue influence._

_Lucianna Gene_

_Witness_

_Dianne Gene_

_Witness_

_Sworn or affirmed to and subscribed to before me by _

_Lucianna and Dianne, witnesses, _

_this May day of the 27__th__, 2000._

_Adrien Witlenspon, Presiding Judge_

"Whoa, official," Ulrich handed it back to her. "Saturn, as in, the planet?"

Luna took it without comment.

"So you see why he would be angry. My mother passed two months ago, and Dianne and I took hold of the property before the second month. When we left home, we left the estate and all of the objects addressed in the Will to my brother, Damion, as Seth was not home, or ever planning on returning. But the property and everything on it still belongs to me and my sister, although it is in the protection of my brother." Luna explained.

Ulrich was about to burst, when she answered his question:

"I told Odd this already, but I am not from around here. You may have heard in class that there is no hope for life on other Planets besides maybe Mars? That is a lie. There are many different people, and they all live on different Planets. Saturn, my home Planet, is nine times the diameter of Earth. We have far more people, and a monarchy. Each Planet besides Earth has a monarchy. And, depending on the Planet, the days are shorter or longer. Saturn's day is only about eleven hours long."

She stopped and looked around the room. Odd was acting normally, but the others were staring at her like she was a freak. It was to be expected: no one had ever gotten this close to her personal life before, and so she had never shared her story with anyone. Now that she had she sorely regretted it.

"So, Aelita is from a virtual world, and you accept her," Luna clarified, "But just because you can't accept that there is life on other Planets, doesn't mean you can't accept me. I'm real, and I'm staying. The principal won't believe you if you tell him the truth anyway."

No one commented. They all knew that they couldn't accept the newcomer. Luna would never really be one of them.

"It's not that," Jeremy lied. "It's just, well, we've been at this for a long time, and to have you come in and want to join all of a sudden. We were all here at the beginning of the adventure. To have you come in would kind of stand in the way."

Luna nodded. Putting the Will back in the pouch, she leaned against the wall.

"Completely understandable." she said.

"So what now?" Aileta asked.

"I can access a portal to Saturn via the Heart of Ko, which can be accessed by any Lyoko replica, or Sector Five. From there I can either observe or interact with any person within the Palace. If anything happens to me there, I will simply return to the scanner."

Jeremy was shaking his head.

"What's wrong with that plan?" Odd saw him.

"Too risky. What if someone tracks us, and comes to Cadic? You could be putting earth at risk."

"Why would I put my home at risk?" Luna cocked an eyebrow.

"It's not really your home."

"It has been for the past five years!" Luna protested. "I'll be damned if anything happens to it on my watch!"

The room was silent for a moment. One by one everyone nodded their approval.

It was decided that they would go to the scanners late that night. Yumi would go home so as not to have her parents suspect; and Odd would go with her. If all went well, nothing would go wrong.

They hoped.


	3. Looking Through The Looking Glass

**Doubled Faced Moon-- Chapter 3**

Back in the Heart of Ko, Luna sat alone on a shelf of rock, looking out at the digital sea. Her brother, Seth, had come with her on this trip, but had had to take a phone call from his fiancé.

He came back and sat next to her. "You alright, Lu?"

"No, I'm not."

"Want to talk about it?"

"Take a wild guess."

To any normal pair of siblings this would be amusing. But Seth had been selected at birth to be the Keeper of the Time Pools. He could look into a pool and see the past, present, and future of whoever it belonged to. Luna had seen her own, but only once, and for a specific purpose.

"Boy trouble?"

Luna didn't answer.

"Listen, Lu, I can't tell you if it will get better. It is what it is. This...Odd, if he really likes you, then he'll stick around"

"His friends may permit him falsehoods."

"Then he'll make the decision. There's nothing you can do."

A block monster made its way to the base of the cliff. Luna shot it with a katana, then sheathed it again.

The skid landed behind her. Luna stood up and put on her Gemini mask. She had changed her outfit to a blue, sleeveless tunic and black leggings. Tight-fitting boots and twin katana sheaths completed the ensemble. Odd got out of the skid first.

"Hey, Blue Moon!"

"Hello, Odd." Luna greeted.

"You know, now that I see you," Yumi came over and stood beside Odd, "you look a lot like someone we go to school with."

"Fancy that," Luna's mask covered her face, with only eye holes.

"Take off your mask," Yumi reached toward her.

"No!" Luna stepped backward, out of reach. "I prefer not."

"If we're going to work with you, we need to know who you are!" Yumi protested.

"You already know who I am, if you think about it."

Yumi shook her head, too angry with her to think about it. Turning on her heel, she went back to the skid.

"She'll figure it out." Odd and Luna followed her.

* * *

The drawer slid open and Luna sat up stiffly.

"Morning!" Odd smiled.

"Gah!" Luna fell down again.

"Sheesh, I'm not _that _scary am I?" Odd helped her out.

"No, it's—you startled me!"

"Then let me do so again," Odd kissed her.

This kiss was longer than the last. Luna could taste the peanut butter toast on his tongue.

"Now," Odd pulled away slowly, "how was that?"

Luna's response was to kiss him again. They sat down on the bed, then Odd lay her down. They broke apart for a moment and just looked at each other, she lying down, and him half lying on top of her.

"Should we be doing this?" Luna breathed. Odd's hand played idly in her hair.

"Why not?" he had gone serious. "We both want it."

"I know, just—" she gasped as he kissed her ear, then her neck. "What about the others?"

"What others?" Odd laughed, his voice deep from passion. "All I see is you."

"We barely even know each other."

"I know you," he said, "and you know me from my file. You have read it, right?"

"Of course, but—"

"Then there's nothing to discuss," he slipped his other hand beneath her, supporting her lower back.

He kissed her again. They melded into her sheets.

* * *

"Where have you been?" Jeremy asked as Odd and Luna sat down for breakfast. "Class starts in fifteen minutes!"

"It was my fault, sorry," Luna shrugged, taking a bite of her muffin. "I had hair trouble."

"Whao! A muffin?" Odd laughed.

"I'm trying something new." She put her backpack down.

The bell rang.

"Fuck!" Luna swore under her breath. "Ah well, breakfast to-go!"

She got up, squeezed Odd's hand briefly, then departed. The Lyoko group was slower to leave. Yumi shot Odd a reproachful look.

"What?" Odd asked, looking puzzled.

"What was _that_?" Yumi shrugged a shoulder in the direction Luna had left.

"What was what?" Odd feigned innocence.

"Is something going on, with you and Luna?" Jeremy asked.

"So what if there is?"

"We don't really know her, Odd." Aileta shook her head.

"But we offered her our support here at Cadic!" Odd folded his arms. "We're not taking that away, are we?"

"No, of course not, Odd," Ulrich assured, "but she isn't really one of us. We just don't want you to fall too fast. You have a history..."

"One time! A guy falls for a tech-stealing mad-woman one time, and you guys hold it against me forever!"

"Calm down, Odd, you'll make a scene!" Aelita hissed. "As your "cousin" I feel highly embarrassed."

Out in the hall, they heard Jim scolding someone. They all crept to the door and peered out.

"Really, Luna! Twice in two days!" Jim had Luna leaning against the wall, his hand beside her head.

"Sorry, Jim," Luna shrugged.

"Why are you late to class again?" Jim crossed his arms.

"I was eating breakfast, and..."

"And what?"

"I was late to breakfast too."

"So that's an excuse?"

"No! But—"

"No buts!" Jim shook his head. "Detention, after school."

"But Jim!" Luna protested.

"I said no buts!" Jim took her by the elbow. "Now off to class."

Odd turned to the others, a truimphant grin on his face.

"Odd..." Jeremy said.

"You planned that, you jerk!" Yumi hit him in the shoulder.

"So?"

"So?? Luna has never had detention before," Jeremy stated. "And if my theory is correct, we won't be seeing her tonight."

"Where would we see her?" Ulrich, Aileta, and Yumi asked in unison.

Odd shrugged and walked off down the hall.

* * *

_Detention—Later that Evening_

Luna sat at the back of the classroom, arms crossed over her chest. Jim sat at the teacher's desk at the front of the room.

"So, Luna," he said. "Wanna move up?"

"I'm fine." Luna leaned against the wall.

"Do I need to read the rules of detention to you?"

"No talking, cell phones, music devices, noise of any kind, or sleeping. Can I wear my shades?"

"In the dark?"

"The lights hurt my eyes."

"Alright then."

Luna put on her sunglasses, pressing the side button to turn on the connection with the Heart of Ko.

"No sleeping, now."

"I know, Jim."

The Lyoko warriors had reached Sector Five and gotten into the skids. Luna pushed another button and the view shifted to a position in one of the mini-skids.

"All systems activated," Aileta announced as everyone materialized into their positions.

"Any sign of Blue Moon?" Jeremy asked.

"None," Aileta replied.

Luna smiled to herself back in the detention room.

"What are you smiling about?" Jim asked.

"Nothing, Jim," Luna assured.

"Are those those special TV glasses?" Jim asked, getting up and walking toward her.

Luna quickly pressed another button, then handed them to him.

"Nope. Just regular shades."

He looked them over.

"No more smiling. You're supposed to be learning a lesson."

"Yes, Jim."

She pressed the button and put them back on. The warriors were diving into the digital sea.

"Still no sign, huh?" Jeremy asked.

"No, usually she's here by now." Yumi toggled a few switches.

"Jeremy," Aileta said, "You don't think...could Luna be Blue Moon?"

"How could she be?" Ulrich asked. "She's in dete—oh gosh!"

_Bingo! _Luna's thought was projected as a sound byte throughout the whole skid.

"Blue Moo—Luna!" Yumi started.

_Hello, Lyoko warriors! _Luna projected. _You're not having fun without me, are you?_

"I—I..." Ulrich gasped.

_Close your mouth, Ulrich, it's unseemly_. Luna paused. _Detention's over soon, want me to meet you?_

"How are you..." Jeremy asked.

_I have my ways. Yes or no?_

"What're your dimensions?" Jeremy asked.

_I have a visual of the cleared mini-skid, and I can switch visuals._

"Stay out of Lyoko, then."

_Yes, Jeremy. _Luna pursed her lips, annoyed. _Next time, phrase yourself better._

The skid breached the sea, and they were in front of an island.

_An island in Lyoko? _Luna mused aloud. _How odd._

"Hey!" Odd protested.

_Not you!_

"Well, if you think about it," Jeremy said, "each mass of land in Lyoko is an island."

_Yes, but none that have a beach leading into the digital sea. _Luna pointed out.

"True, have you seen it before?"

_No, I was hoping you had._

"What shall we do?" Aileta asked, bringing the skid to hover.

_The more worlds within Lyoko we know about the better_, Luna said.

"Ahead to adventure." Aileta laughed.


	4. Business vs Pleasure

**Double Faced Moon—Chapter 4**

Luna sat down at the back of the cafeteria. Two days had passed since the Warriors and she found the beach on Lyoko, and none of them—save Odd—had talked to her since then. Aileta had passed her a note (_"No recent activity. We've decided to lay low for a while."_) during math, but other than that, neither Yumi, Ulrich, or Jeremy had said a word.

Odd spotted her from his place in line and waved. She waved back, catching the attention of Sissy and her two goons. Sissy wrinkled her nose as she sauntered over to her table.

While Sissy wore her usual pink top and dark skirt an pants, Luna wore a green T-shirt and blue jeans, with her blond hair hanging loosely to her shoulders. Sissy leaned on the table, keeping her face half an arms distance away.

"What do you have with Odd?" she asked.

"Do mine eyes deceive?" Luna held a dramatic hand to her forehead. "The all-popular principal's daughter, talking to me! It must be my lucky day."

"Don't act cute, rich kid," Sissy smirked, taking out a paper.

"So, is having money a crime?"

"Your mom died a while ago, right? Left you well-indowed, so I hear…or read."

"Those files are none of your business," Luna snatched the paper out of Sissy's hand.

"Really? They're in daddy's office."

"Oh la dee dah," Luna waved a dismissive hand, "Go back to your body guards, Sissy."

"Not until I find out what you and Odd have been meeting about."

"It's none of your damned business!" Luna stood up, keeping her voice calm but assertive. "Now if you'll excuse me, I have homework to do."

With that she picked up her tray of food in one hand, deposited it at the counter, and left the dining hall. Ulrich, Yumi, Jeremy, and Aileta looked at Sissy.

"What?" Sissy asked innocently. "Is it so wrong to want the latest gossip?"

"Why don't you just leave her alone, Sissy," Yumi frowned, "She hasn't done anything to you."

"So quick to let her into your group, huh?"

"We didn't say she was in our group," Aileta shook her head, "but you shouldn't be so hard on everyone else just because you're the principal's daughter."

"At least I _have _a parent," Sissy smirked, "unlike you and Odd's new _girlfriend_."

"Now wait a minute!" Odd stopped behind Sissy, tray of food in his hands.

But he didn't get a chance to say anything, because Jeremy had gotten up and was now toe-to-toe with Sissy. The frown he wore contrasted with his usual attitude.

"Take it _back_."

"What?" Sissy was just as surprised as the rest of the group.

"What you said about Aileta—"

"—and Luna!" Odd chimed in.

"Okay, I'm sorry!" Sissy backed away from Jeremy. "You guys are so _touchy_."

She went back to her table.

"Wow, Jeremy, who knew you had it in ya?" Ulrich patted him on the back as he sat back down.

"Thanks," Aileta took Jeremy's hand, smiling.

* * *

They found Luna in the library later that evening. It was 10:30PM, and the librarian was getting ready to close in half an hour. Luna sat at a desktop computer, editing the last page of a paper. She clicked SAVE and PRINT. Just as she turned around, she saw the Warriors.

No one said anything for several moments. Luna crossed her arms, her paper in one hand. Face neutral, she waited.

"Hi," Ulrich finally said.

"Hello," Luna responded.

"Do you have a minute?"

"Oh, I suppose."

They sat down at the table Luna had claimed, and watched silently as she put her paper into her backpack. The sunglasses that allowed her to see into Lyoko sat on top of her head, acting as a headband for her hair. Jeremy noted the buttons on the side.

"Are those…?" he began.

"Yes." Luna did not expand on the subject.

"Why didn't you tell us?" Jeremy asked after a few moments.

"What was there to tell?"

"You're from a different planet," Yumi shrugged, "you know of pocket-worlds within Lyoko, you have all this tech that allows you to traverse the digital world on your own. I don't know, take your pick."

"Don't get snippy with me," Luna glared at her, "I have my reasons for not being a team player. But if you must know: yes, I withheld information. I have my own mission on Lyoko sans going after Xana. That's why you were allowed to find Lyoko: to protect it from Xana's little projects while I took care of the real threat."

"Which would be…?"

"None of your concern," Luna sat down, folding her hands on top of the table.

"If you are on Lyoko, it is our business," Ulrich said.

"No, _you _on Lyoko is my business. Seems to me you need all the help you can get. After that little fiasco with William, it's a wonder you're talking to me at all."

"What happened with William was…a tragedy," Jeremy agreed. "What would you be able to offer us that we don't already know?"

"_Kono Yuki_," Luna said, "or the Heart (courage) of Ko (child). It's the heartland of every digital world. It is the parent of Sector Five, and the place both of our villains are fighting to get into."

"But Sector Five only goes out; there's no way to get anywhere that we haven't already been," Aileta interjected.

"Believe me, with me on your side, you'll find the Heart."

"And _are_ you on our side?" Yumi asked.

"If I weren't, I wouldn't be talking to you right now." Luna smiled, the gesture reaching just to the bottom of her eyes. "In truth, I'm glad I've been allowed to bring our forces together."

"Wait…_bring _our forces together?" Odd asked.

"Yes, I was given instructions to find you."

"So…what? This has all been on instruction from someone?"

"I was advised to bring the strength of our forces together. I was _not_, however, told to work with you. That is a choice made of my own volition."

"Well, it's good to know that not _everything _you did was a lie!" Odd looked hurt.

"Odd!" Luna's composure faltered. "You have to understand—I wasn't—"

"Weren't _what_, Luna?" Odd seethed. "Told to get involved? Glad to see you don't follow orders."

"Why are you angry?" Now Luna was at a loss. Diplomacy she could handle, but love? What was the tightening in her chest from? "I never expected…Odd you have to believe me: I would never have believed…"

"That someone could care about you?" he turned his back on her. "Well, someone did. But I guess _orders_ don't permit it."

"Odd…" she sat in her chair. Her hands had dropped to her sides; she stared at Odd. His shoulders were slightly hunched. What had she done wrong?

"Were you always just a puppet?" Odd turned back to her, eyes blazing. "Were you always just a _doll_ to do whatever you were told?"

"That's not fair!" Luna stood up, meeting his gaze. "Solitude isn't a _choice_, Odd! Neither is affection!"

All this time the rest of the group had sat watching their exchange. Yumi's brows raised at Luna's last sentence.

"Well, you sure are good at acting!" Odd laughed. "Pretending must come naturally to you."

"What are you _talking _about?" Luna felt tears prick the sides of her eyes—her resolve was disintegrating by the second. "I was never pretending with you, Odd!"

"Oh no? _Bringing our forces together_. You needed an in-man, huh? Is that why?"

"If I remember correctly, we bumped into one another outside the cafeteria," Luna said, "Our meeting had nothing to do with any of this."

"Really? Are you sure you didn't plan it? Worked it into your plans?" Odd shook his head. "I was an idiot to trust you."

He stormed out of the library. Luna stayed standing, staring after him. She didn't say anything, letting the tears silently fall down her cheeks.

_I guess you were wrong, Seth._


	5. Small Universe

**Double Faced Moon—Chapter 5**

Luna did not go to classes the next day. Or the next. Or the next. Soon a week had passed, and Luna had not shown up for any sort of school activity. Envelopes would appear on each teacher's desk at the beginning of the class with completed homework and a request for that days lecture notes to be dropped by her room. But save these occurrences, no one saw her.

Odd, too, was being moody. He said little to anyone, even Ulrich, and did not offer a comment to any jokes or banter. He began to focus on school with an almost Jeremy-like passion—this worried his friends.

"Dude, just go talk to her," Jeremy said matter-of-factly one lunch.

Odd made no comment, as always.

"Odd, you can't stay mad at her," Yumi shook her head. "Yes, she was told by a superior or something to work with us on Lyoko, but she was under no such order to befriend us in real life."

"All the same," Odd mumbled.

"You can't tell me that you feel _nothing _for her," Yumi cocked an eyebrow.

"It doesn't matter now."

"Odd," Ulrich said, forceful, "you can't let this spat come between you. You have a right to be angry, but she didn't _have _to meet you. She could have blown you off after you first met."

"I pushed it," Odd muttered, "I wanted to see her."

"And did she push you away?"

"No…"

"So…do you think she may feel the same way you do?"

"Hurt? Betrayed?"

"No," Ulrich shook his head, "She probably feels like crud. She's probably beating herself up about this whole thing. You need to go talk to her."

* * *

Yumi, Ulrich, Jeremy, and Aileta had to walk Odd to Luna's door. They stood behind him as he knocked, then pushed him through the door once Ulrich had picked the lock. Luna's room stood empty. Her books were piled neatly on her desk, her bed was made, her closet hung neatly with her shoes lined up underneath.

The space under her bed hummed quietly. Odd turned back to the group.

"Oh well, she's busy, let's go."

"Where is she, Odd?" Aileta folded her arms.

"Probably in Ko or something, from the humming under her bed."

"You mean that's her scanner?" Jeremy looked intrigued.

"Yeah. She has a computer, scanner and everything down there," Odd waved this off.

"Then we'll go to Ko, too." Aileta turned to leave. "Jeremy, did you keep those coordinates?"

"Um," Jeremy straightened, "yes. Let's go."

"Wait a minute!" Odd blocked the doorway, "Why are we going in after her? She obviously wants to be left alone!"

"The only reason she's there is because she's sulking," Yumi pointed out, "because _you _made her feel worthless."

"She was using us!"

"No, she wasn't. She befriended us outside of Lyoko. She didn't have to do that."

"So what? Is she part of the group now?"

"Get your butt to Lyoko, Odd."

* * *

Luna sat cross-legged atop a glacier in the Heart of Ko, staring out at the digital sea. Seth appeared nex to her and took a seat without a word.

"Did I mess things up, Seth?" she didn't look at him.

"No." Seth threw a piece of ice. "You didn't."

"How can you be sure? You only see possible futures, based on people's immediate actions and thoughts. What's to keep him on his path?"

Seth chuckled. "As old as you are, you need to ask me that? Look into the ice, Lu. He'll keep coming because you're here."

"I doubt that."

"And why is that?"

Today the Heart of Ko resembled a barren ice landscape, with a few glaciers standing alone. She fixed her gaze on one before answering.

"I told them about my mission."

"Not about _him_, did you?" Seth didn't sound surprised.

"No, of course not. But I told them how I had been given orders to join forces with them."

"And this Odd got mad at you?"

"Yes."

"I have a feeling you will be forgiven."

"Oh?" She turned to him, but Seth had vanished.

Luna heard running behind her. She jumped, spun, and unsheathed her katanas in one fluid motion. Bringing them to bear in an "x" in front of her, she froze upon seeing Yumi, Ulrich, Odd, and Aileta stop ten feet away. Luna did not lower her blades.

"Blu—Luna," Aileta greeted.

"What are you guys doing here?" Luna asked.

"We brought someone to talk to you," Yumi shoved Odd forward.

"Oh?"

"Yes," Ulrich pinned Odd with a look, "and he has something important to say."

"We'll leave you two to your chat," Aileta turned with Yumi and Ulrich and they walked a safe distance away.

Luna smoothed her expression to be unreadable. Odd folded his arms and said nothing. They stared at each other for a time, before Luna promptly turned her back to him—not wanting him to see her take off her mask to wipe at her eyes.

"So…" Odd began. "They dragged me here, after we saw you in your scanner…I didn't want to come."

His phrasing, so unsure and choppy, bit into her more than his words did. Luna said nothing.

"But I've been thinking about what they said…what you said…and I think I understand a little bit better."

"Oh?" Luna turned around again, mask in place.

"Can you take off your mask?"

"No," Luna shook her head. "While I am here I cannot let my face be seen."

"Why not?"

"You're getting off-topic."

Odd shifted uncomfortably. "I, um, understand what you meant earlier…about your mission and all."

"Yes?"

"You could have just left it to missions…but you knew who we were outside of Lyoko. At first you didn't want to have much to do with us…and then _we _happened and…"

He stopped and looked at her.

"I'm sorry I acted like a jerk."

"Don't be sorry," Luna shook her head, "You had a right to be angry. I shouldn't have kept that from you. It was my fault."

"I overreacted when you told us."

"But I didn't explain it very well. I thought you would be able to read between the lines. I shouldn't have expected…"

"I forgive you," Odd smiled.

"And I you."

They hugged. Aileta gave Odd the thumbs up behind them.

"Let's get back to school," he said when they came apart.

"Sounds goo—" Luna stopped short when the ground began to shake.

A fissure appeared in the ice, separating Odd and Luna from the rest of the Warriors. Odd exchanged a knowing look with Luna and jumped the gap before it sped up in expansion. Luna froze just before she was about to jump. A shadow—large, ominous, and glaring at them with red eyes—rose from the fissure, seemingly from the digital sea itself.

"At last I have you!" it laughed. "The Warriors and the Princess of Saturn!"

"Who is that?" Ulrich asked Odd, then looked to Luna.

She just stood there, shocked into silence.

"Have you nothing to say to me, child?" the shadow spoke solely to Luna. "No words of welcome fro your uncle?"

"V-Viktor!" Luna stammered into life. "What are _you _doing here? Where is Dimitri?"

"Hah! My brother is weak! He has seen the "error" of his demonic ways, and has chosen to live the remainder of his days in penance to the God!" the shadow bit each phrase off as if it burned his mouth.

"What have you done to him?"

"I? I have done him a favor! To live with a conscience…it is sickening. He shall be better off once the poison takes its toll."

"Y-you poisoned him? Your own brother?"

"He was dead to his Planet the moment he "awoke" from evil!"

The Warriors glanced between Luna and the shadow, unsure of what to do.

"Ah, do not think I have forgotten you, Lyoko Warriors," the shadow—Viktor—turned to them. "Your services in averting Xana's attention from Ko has been most…helpful. If it were not for your connection with this _Saturnian_ I might have spared you."

No one said anything, staring up at Viktor in horror. Viktor laughed, deep and menacing.

"Now, Lucianna," a hand shot out, enveloping Luna from the neck down, "which of your Earthian friends shall I kill first?"


	6. Different As Can Be

**The Double Faced Moon—Chapter 6**

Luna struggled as Viktor picked her off of the ice as if she weighed no more than air. His presence reeked of death and evil, and it took all of her willpower not to gag.

"Let her go!" Odd threw an ice shard at Viktor's hulking form. It passed through him to be absorbed into his body.

"Foolish Earthian!" Viktor laughed. "No mere object can harm me! For that, you will be the first!"

"No!" Luna screamed. "Take me! Don't hurt them!"

"_Don't hurt them?_" Viktor peered at her. "My dear niece, this is only brought about by your betrayal."

"I betrayed no one!" Luna spat at him. "I will have nothing to do with destructive Planets and its people!"

"You have turned your back on your family and now you will pay the price! I shall begin by ending the lives of your…friends."

"I won't let you!" Luna snarled. "Take me back! Lock me up somewhere, but don't touch them!"

Viktor's head moved from his niece to the Lyoko Warriors and back again. Odd stood ready to fire his arrows. Ulrich was poised with his hand over his sword. Yumi and Aelita took up position as well. Luna's uncle shook his head.

"Very well," he looked back at Luna with a sneer. "They may be spared, but only if you come with me _immediately_."

"Yes…uncle."

"No!" Odd yelled as Viktor turned away, Luna still in him fist. "Luna!"

"It's okay, Odd," Luna bit back a sob. "I'll miss you."

* * *

"Damn it!" Odd shot an arrow at an ice cliff, causing the face of it to fall over into the digital sea.

The others looked on in stunned silence. None of them knew what to say.

"What is that guy's _deal_?" Odd continued to rant.

"Odd…" Yumi asked. "What exactly happened?"

"What do you mean? Luna's psycho uncle just whisked her away!"

"I think what Yumi is asking," Aelita said, "is what did Luna just do?"

Odd took a deep breath. "She just took our places. She told her uncle to spare us and kill her!"

"Well then we can't let that happen," Jeremy's voice echoed around them. "Aelita, did you place the tracker?"

"Sure did, Jeremy."

Jeremy chuckled. He and Aelita had made a digital tracker that could be put on any digital avatar of a person and could track them anywhere. But once they found Luna, the tracker would deactivate. It was a one-time thing, and if they didn't find her before someone else deactivated it….it would be over.

"Alright!" Odd punched the air. "Let's do this!"

* * *

Luna woke up inside of a tower. The inside of the tower reminded her of the ones on Lyoko. The computer loaded an image of a forest landscape.

"So, he brought me to Lyoko?" Luna mumbled to herself.

"Indeed I did," Viktor phased through the tower entrance.

"Why? You know it's easier to be tracked on this Plane." Luna stood up, keeping her back to the computer so as to better keep an eye on her uncle.

"I'm counting on your friends coming to save you, and then I can kill them off one by one."

"So…you never intended to let them go?"

Viktor rolled his eyes. "Please, Lucianna, did you honestly think your sacrifice would _not _be in vain?"

Luna lunged at him, only to be wrapped in a loose headlock with her other arm pinned behind her back.

"Do you know the best part?" Viktor whispered in her ear. "This tower only allows people to enter, so when they come in, they can't get out. They'll be easy pickings."

"Then that means that you're stuck in here with us," Luna choked as Viktor's bicep tightened around the veins in her neck.

"Ah, but my dear niece, that's where _you _come in!"


	7. Haunted

**The Double Faced Moon**

_A Code Lyoko FanFiction_

Chapter 7

Luna paced the small space of the platform in front of the computer. She could feel her uncle's eyes on her—so be it. He floated off in the empty space to her right, completely at peace with what would be her friends' ultimate fate at his hands.

Friends.

When had she begun to think of them as friends? Sure, Odd was her boyfriend—albeit they had an interesting dynamic—and the others were nice enough once you got to know them. But friends? She supposed that everyone made friends eventually, even her. The connection had snuck up on her, through their missions and talks together. She had even let slip in one of their first lunches together—before they had ever found out about her identity as Blue Moon—about the mission from the previous night. Odd had even backed her up. But why had she done that? And how had they forgotten afterwards? She was sure that her brother, Seth, had something to do with it, though he hadn't said a word to her beyond her relationship problems with Odd.

Luna resolved to ask him about that the next time that she saw him.

In the meantime, evil incarnate floated feet from her pacing area.

"You might as well stop pacing," Viktor checked his nails. "They are going to die, and then you will be disciplined for your betrayals."

"I have betrayed no one." The pacing continued.

"You abandon your Planet, separate from your sister, and shun your father to his deathbed—explain how that is not betrayal."

"I had no choice in leaving my home and you know it, Viktor. Damion banished all of us. Dianne wanted nothing to do with my new life on Earth—she refused to assimilate—and Dimitri made his own choices. I don't want the Throne, he's always known that. What I want to know is: why force me back to Saturn to take it if he wanted Damion on the Throne since he could lift a rattle?"

"I guess you'll never know, will you?" Viktor smirked. "His time grows short, and yet you're here, leading your team to slaughter."

"Only because you kidnapped me."

"They've thrown their lot in with you, I can't let them live."

"I'm willing to trade my life—"

"What good is your death to me? I intend to see you suffer for your insolence against the Jupiterian crown, Lucianna."

Luna did not think to answer. She had just realized that the computer screen was showing the area just outside of the tower. She saw Aelita first, followed quickly by Odd, Yumi, and Ulrich. They stopped just short of the tower entrance, and Luna saw Aelita's mouth move as they communicated with Jeremy back in the factory.

"My apologies, neice, I was not aware you wanted to listen to their decision to meet their doom."

Viktor pressed a button at the top of the screen, and the conversation outside the tower echoed aroun d them.

"Yes, that is the tower where Luna's data is coming from." Jeremy's voice sounded so positive, it made Luna want to shut her ears. _Please don't come in, please don't come in!_

"Any other signatures?" Aelita asked.

"Who cares?" Odd's voice. "Luna's in trouble!"

"It's most likely a trap," Yumi said.

Luna didn't realize that she had been holding her breath. When Yumi spoke the truth, she let it out in a relieved _whoosh_.

"Odd's right, though," Ulrich chimed in. "If she's in there, we can't just leave."

"But it could still be a trap!" Yumi insisted.

"I agree, Yumi," Jeremy said, "but we can't leave her. Like it or not, she has become a valuable part of this team. If she died or got hurt because we didn't do anything, you'd never forgive yourself."

Luna saw Yumi nod in silent agreement.

"That's my cue!" Viktor faded into the wall of the tower.

The Warriors charged into the tower, skidding to a halt in front of Luna.

"You shouldn't have come," she said sadly.

"What? You think that we would leave our teammate high and dry?" Ulrich smiled with a bravado that none of them felt.

"We couldn't just leave you to the wrath of your uncle," Odd hugged her.

"But—"

A slow clapping began from the coded walls of the tower. The team moved as one, cutting Luna off from Viktor's direct line of fire as he manifested in front if them.

"How very...touching." He paused to think of the proper word. "But I am afraid that this is the end of the line, Lyoko Warriors."

"Like hell it is!" Odd stood in front of Luna, his arrows ready to fire.

Viktor laughed. "You're little boyfriend has spirit, niece. I will enjoy killing him in front of you."

"Don't touch them!" Luna shouted, voice nearly pleading.

"It's a little late for that, don't you think?" Viktor yawned.

"I think that you will find it harder than you thought."

"Is that so?"

Luna had never told anyone this, but she had maintained some of her powers. When he had banished them, Damion had attempted to drain them of their powers, so that if they did manage to get back to Saturn, they could not challenge him as they once could have. But before Damion could drain her powers entirely, she had transferred half of it to her moon pendant that hung from her neck almost everyday. Once she had made it safely to Earth, she had absorbed that half of her power back into herself.

With a deep breath, she pushed passed Odd and Ulrich, standing between the Warriors and her uncle.

"I won't let you hurt them." She spread her arms out, a katana in each hand.

"And what could you possibly do to stop me?" Viktor sneered. "You're a banished princess, a powerless practitioner with no real worth to anyone."

"That's not true."

"No? Who then, besides these insolent whelps who call themselves warriors, would stand up to me on your behalf?"

Before Luna could open her mouth to start the incantation of the protection spell, a voice came in from the doorway to the tower.

"Me." Seth materialized at the end of the platform, hands in his pockets.

"_You_?" Viktor nearly howled with laughter.

"Yes, me." Seth's hand came out of his pocket, ablaze in a grey flame.

He blasted Viktor squarely in the chest. The man stumbled backwards.

"Impressive," Viktor snarled, all jovial manner gone from his voice. "So I see Damion didn't get to everyone."

"No, he didn't." Luna began reciting the incantation in a language long since forgotten by Earth's people.

Odd, Ulrich, Yumi, and Aelita stood behind Luna and listened. Speechless, as their friend strung together sounds that formed unrecognizable words. The other man—tall, with black hair that fell to his shoulders, and dressed in a tunic and pants of a deep blue and black lining—appeared to have a connection to Luna and her uncle, Viktor.

"_Akana motesti!_" Luna finished. A blue fire sprung up in a circle around the Warriors, shooting from the tips of Luna's katanas.

Viktor's eyebrows shot up. "So, you've maintained some of your power."

Luna said nothing.

"Don't do this, Lu," Seth warned. "I know it's tempting, but he's necessary."

"Why?" She didn't take her eyes off of the smirk that was slowly growing on her uncle's face. "Why is this...this..._scumbag_ necessary, Seth?"

"For good to exist, so, too, must evil," Seth replied in his calm tone. "In order for you to continue what you do, he has to live."

"But I have Dimitri and Damion for that."

Seth shook his head. "Listen to me: he is the reason that you fight. Not our father or our misguided brother."

Odd watched Luna closely. She stood, back straight, in a star stance. Her shoulders did not quake with the weight of her blades as they spewed a constant stream of protective blue flame. A dark blue smoke laced with black appeared to be rolling off her, only to disappear when it got to the end of the swords. The power she was emitting was something that none of the Warriors had seen in their time protecting Lyoko.

It was something else entirely.


	8. Die Trying

**The Double Faced Moon**

_A Code Lyoko Fan Fiction_

_We last left our heroes in a dire situation: Luna just busted out her magical powers, Viktor has shared his desire to kill them all off, and Seth has decided to interfere in what he normally wouldn't have, as the Keeper of Time. Oh, and the Lyoko Warriors are as confused as anyone would normally be in this kind of a situation._

_So sit back, relax, and enjoy Chapter 8!_

* * *

Chapter 8

Viktor's eyes widened at the sight of Luna's aura. While the blue was not so surprising—as it was the color of her home Planet—the black threw him off guard. Damion had been the only one of his brother's children to inherit the Demon blood that ran through the royal Jupiterean bloodline. Apparently he had not kept as close an eye on the other children as he should have.

"You will not harm my friends," Luna's voice, while still recognizable, had grown deeper until it was almost growling.

"So, my brother managed to pass on his evil genetics to more than one of his brats," Viktor mused aloud.

"Indeed, uncle," Seth had stepped into the circle and now stood behind his sister. "Luna, please listen to me."

"Why should I? He has caused my family nothing but pain!"

"Give me your word that you will not kill him!"

Luna paused for such a long moment that Seth feared that she might strike their uncle a fatal blow. That would force him to make another backwards leap in order to fix one of her slip-ups.

"I swear on the grave of our late mother that I will not kill Viktor."

"Thank you," Seth placed a grateful hand on her shoulder.

She shrugged it off and brought her katana tips together, sealing the team and Seth inside of the circular blue flames.

"With the circle sealed," Luna explained, her voice returning to its normal state, "we will have a few minutes to talk without Viktor being able to hear us. But no more than a few minutes."

"What do you propose that we do?" Aelita asked.

"What _can _we do?" Yumi motioned to Viktor's hulking avatar form. "He's not exactly a block monster. We don't know how to fight him."

"He's definitely more powerful than XANA," Ulrich said. "We barely make it out alive when _he's _involved."

"Are you guys forgetting who we're with?" Odd laughed. "Luna and..."

"Seth," Seth extended his hand to each of the Warriors. "I am Luna's older brother."

"Not the evil one?" Jeremy's voice came through.

"No, that would be our eldest brother, Damion." Seth answered.

"Yeah, so Luna and Seth know how to fight this Viktor guy."

Luna smiled weakly.

"I'm glad that you have such faith in me, Odd, but the truth is that when I was up against my uncle, I always had help. I've never defeated him by myself."

"And what are we? Puddles in the digital sea?" Yumi put her hands on her hips. "Just tell us what to do."

"I can't ask you to—"

"Oh yes you can!" Aelita interrupted her. "We're in this together. He wants all of us, he'll get all of us."

Luna looked around the to the other Warriors, who nodded. Squaring her shoulders, she turned to face her uncle, bringing the shield down with a turn of her head.

"Are you finished with your little pow-wow?" Viktor yawned.

"Explain to me again why you want to kill me," Luna didn't look back at her friends. She could feel their looks of bewilderment.

"It's a rather simple thing to answer," Viktor shrugged, shrinking himself down to a normal, human size. "You have deserted your Planet. As an Heiress, you were competition. As the Head Heiress, you were a threat. You would never acknowledge Jupiter as part of your heritage if you took your Throne. That's why I manipulated my brother to manipulate Damion. With you and your other siblings out of the way, I had a puppet on the Throne of Saturn, and an immediate connection to said puppet."

"Why not just stick around yourself?"

"Please, I have my own Throne to steal from underneath my brother's nose! With his health failing, it is only a matter of time before I am crowned as the only possible Heir."

"There's still Damion, or Seth."

"Setthire doesn't want either Throne—he's the Keeper of Time. Damion won't care due to his current obsession with _your _Throne—and his demon blood."

Luna felt her jaw drop metaphorically to the floor.

"His _WHAT_?"

"Demon blood." Viktor folded his arms. "Oh, Lucianna, don't be so naïve! Each of you has a small portion of it. I simply forced Damion to focus on that small part within him and now it has nearly consumed him."

"But his portion is still just as large as the rest of us."

"Of course, but if he continues to focus on it with this intensity, then it will turn him into the ultimate puppet. He'll be so filled with anger that he won't give the Throne up!"

"There's a flaw in your plan," Aelita stepped up to stand beside Luna.

"Oh?" Viktor raised an eyebrow at her.

"All of that anger, it will also make him less able to be a puppet. He'll resent you for it. He'll refuse to do what you tell him to do."

"Ah, but there's the beauty of it. He'll know who put him there! He'll know who gave him the power!"

"As far as he knows, Dimitri gave it to him," Luna reminded him.

"And who controls my brother?"

She took a deep breath.

"You still haven't explained why you're going to kill me."

"Your father."

"What about him?"

"If he hadn't come to you at your school, hadn't told you to come back to Saturn, then you wouldn't have found out any of this. You'd still be flitting around Sector 5 and the Heart of Ko, oblivious to the puppet show that I was putting on."

Luna flashed back to that day in the principal's office. Her father had practically pleaded with her to come back to Saturn...that Dianne was already there...

Oh how she wanted to see her sister again.

"What about Dianne?" She asked, but already knew the answer.

"As Head Heiress, you present the most threat to my plan. She has agreed to step aside gracefully if I left you alone. She told me that in a few years, you were going to get married."

Luna whirled around as she heard a sharp intake of breath. Odd stood, stiller than dirt, looking at her with bewilderment. In all honesty, Luna had forgotten about her previous marital contract to the Prince of the Burning Star—it had been made so long ago, when she was practically a baby.

"Oh, did I say something wrong?" Viktor smirked. A flick of his wrist sent Luna flying into the wall of the tower, where she was bound with ropes made from the code that ran along the wall. "Now stay there a moment, won't you? I'm going to pick off your little team one by one."


	9. Can't Fight the Moonlight

**The Double Faced Moon**

_A Code Lyoko Fan Fiction_

_Thanks for all the feedback! Onto Chapter 9!_

Chapter 9

Luna struggled against the bonds that kept her pinned to the tower wall. Viktor was advancing on her friends. She knew that if he wanted to, he could wipe them all out—Seth and herself included—in an instant if he chose to. He was taking this slow, biding his time.

He was a predator who had cornered his prey, and now he wanted to kill it slowly.

Luna searched around frantically for a way of escape. The coding in the walls spilled passed her, over her wrists, behind her. The tower only held as long as the code wasn't interrupted. It was an extension of Lyoko's mainframe: the program behind the world.

Focusing her energy on breaking the chain of code, Luna did not see Seth slip backward into an out-of-space pocket.

_Hang on, Odd_! She thought. _No one's killing you guys. Not today, not ever!_

"Exactly my thinking," Seth whispered beside her.

Luna would have jumped had she not been pinned to a wall of code. Seth had opened up another pocket next to her and had his torso floating in the waterfall of code.

"How are you—?" she began.

"Any space is out of space and all space is within space."

"Huh?"

"It's long and complicated and boring. Point is: I'm here. What's the plan?"

"If I can interrupt the flow—or slow it down long enough to rewrite an exit, we can get out of here."

"But that won't hold off Viktor. You may not be able to return to Lyoko as long as he's waiting for you here."

"I'm hoping that if we escape him, he'll come after me on Earth."

Seth paled. "You'd risk Earth?"

"I wouldn't be risking anything! If I can get him alone—in the wood surrounding the school or something—then I can take him one on one. No one has to get hurt."

Aelita had formed a shield around the group, and Viktor was circling it with a smirk on his face. Luna knew that Aelita was reinforcing it with every burst of will, but it wouldn't hold off her uncle for long.

"Help me," she pleaded to Seth.

He nodded and brought up a computer screen. Its display mimicked the code on the walls, but without Luna's body mass obstructing most of it.

"If we change this strand"—Seth pointed to a particular column—"then we can transport each of the Warriors back to the factory. But we'd have to input their character data each time. It'll be slow, but effective."

"Is there a faster way?" Luna eyed the barrier warily.

"Not unless you want one of them to come back without a hand, or their big toe, or—"

"I get it!" she hissed. "Speed bad. I know their data coding, let's do this."

Luna had run simulations on each of the Warriors' transformations from her laptop computer. She whispered each of them to Seth as his hands flew over the keypad on the screen. Soon only Aelita was left—if she had disappeared any sooner, the barrier would have disappeared, too.

With one last keystroke, Seth sent Aelita back to Earth. The barrier dissolved, and Viktor was left looking at an empty bit of platform. His face fell from mocking sneer to deep scowl. He turned to look at Luna and Seth just as the computer screen flashed out of existence. With a curl of one finger, he brought Luna to hover in front of him, suspended over the endless drop of the inner tower.

Luna couldn't move. His binding spell made her feel as if there were a giant clamp slowly pushing her bones to breaking point. Viktor would have caught Seth, too, but her brother popped back out of the space.

_Just flipping perfect! _Luna thought bitterly as her uncle turned back to face her.

"You seem determined to die," he said.

"You seem determined...to kill everyone." The constriction made it hard for her to breathe.

"I know you sent them back to Earth," Viktor smiled menacingly. "But I assure you that it's only a matter of time before I track you down in the mortal realm. Even there I will be stronger. You have only postponed the inevitable downfall of your little team."

"I won't...let you...hurt them..." Her vision was growing black around the edges.

Soon she would wake up back in the scanner.

Odd would be there.

"How could you...kill us...here anyway?" she asked.

"Magical forces are permanent here," Viktor shrugged. "It's merely translated as code; or, in the case of you and your friends, lack of code. Had any of my magical blasts made contact, their code would have been instantly erased. It would be like falling into the digital sea."

"Permanent death..."

"And no body to clean up on the other side." Viktor's grip tightened. "But I'll let you play your little game, Lucianna. "I'll return you to Earth to regroup with your Warriors. But I _will _be coming after you."

Luna's vision faded.

* * *

"Luna!" Aelita's voice reached the sleeping figure.

As soon as they had gotten back to the scanners, the team had rushed back to the school. There they had gone straight to Luna's room and opened up her scanner drawer.

Odd sat beside the drawer, looking an off mixture between worried sick and confused rage. Who could blame him? His girlfriend was lying comatose on a pile of yoga mats hooked up to a computer and her crazy uncle had just tried to kill them all—oh, and apparently she was betrothed to someone else.

She had _failed _to mention that little tidbit of information.

"She'll be okay!" Yumi sighed in relief. "She's coming to."

Luna's eyes fluttered open. The first person she saw was Odd. She smiled up at him and reached out for his hand. He took it and gave it a reassuring squeeze.

"I need to tell you some things," Luna began.

"Later," Odd shook his head, smiling. "Right now we're just happy you made it out of there in one piece."

"He let me go." She sat up in the open drawer, hand still clutching Odd's.

"He what?" Jeremy's amazement showed on every other face in the room.

"He let me come back to Earth. But he's coming here to fight me."

"You mean to fight _us_," Ulrich amended.

"No," Luna shook her head. "He was right when he told me that he would be just as strong here as on Lyoko. He told me that a blast of his magic in Lyoko would be like drowning in the digital sea. Well, if you're hit with it here, on Earth, you're dead. People will see the bodies and start asking questions. I can't let you guys fight him."

"We're not helpless, Luna," Aelita said.

"I know you're not. But here we don't have our powers like on Lyoko. I mean, I still have my magic, but only part of it."

"If you have magic, then why can't you just magic our avatar powers into reality?" Odd asked.

Everyone looked at him with a _You've got to be kidding_ look.

"Just asking..."

"That idea is about as lame as—" Ulrich started.

"I can do it."

"What?" Everyone looked at Luna.

"I can do it, but not for long. I can maybe buy you guys 48 hours with them, but that's it."

"But how much power will that take?" Yumi asked, concern etched in her features.

"Quite a bit," Luna smiled with a confidence she didn't feel. "But that's the thing about magic: it's energy. It replenishes."

Odd put a hand on her shoulder.

"You don't have to do this for us."

"You were the one who asked."

"I was half-kidding."

"Also half-serious. Well I'm full serious. I can't do this on my own, and you guys want to help."

"But you told me that none of them would be allowed to fight for you," Seth had appeared from another one of his out-of-space pockets. "If they're fighting, then I will too."

"What about the Time Pools?" Luna asked.

"My assistant can watch them while I am gone." Seth smiled. "Besides, you'll need help transferring those powers."

Luna nodded. They made an interesting group: six teenagers and a brother only a few years older. They were going to take on a mad man bent on taking over every Planet in the Solar System, starting with the Jovian Planets.

They set to work.


	10. Never Alone

**The Double Faced Moon**

_A Code Lyoko Fan Fiction_

_Wow! I can't believe that we're already at chapter 10! Wicked cool! Thanks to all my fans who pushed me to keep the story going!_

Chapter 10

After a long meeting, the team decided that it would be best for all of them to stay out of Lyoko—and for Luna to stay out of Ko—until the Viktor Crisis was over.

Yes, they had taken to calling it the Viktor Crisis.

Viktor didn't decide to rear his ugly head until a week after Luna's near escape, during which time the team was hard at work. Jeremy and Aelita kept an eye on any and all Lyoko towers, Yumi and Ulrich scouted out possible areas of attack with help from Luna and Seth. Seth placed some temporary portals around each of these areas that led back to the Time Pools. Luna took Odd aside near the end of the week to talk to him.

"Odd, you've been partially avoiding me." They were in her room; she sat in her computer chair backwards and he sat on her bed.

"No I haven't—" he started.

"Yes you have. I know that you've been thinking about what Viktor said."

"Oh? And how do you know that?"

"Because I've been thinking the same thing."

He was silent, waiting for her to continue.

Luna sighed. "Remember how I told all of you earlier how each of the Planets within the Solar System—besides Earth—have a monarchal system?"

Odd nodded.

"Well, like all monarchies, there are certain advantages to having ties to other monarchies. The most common tie is marriage. I was betrothed, before I was even a month old, to a Prince."

"Well, you wouldn't be marrying a duke or something lesser than you."

"Odd, I'm serious."

"Sorry."

"His name is Prince Artemis Apollo," Luna continued. "He is the Prince of the Burning Star—what most people call the Sun. I've only met him once, when I was twelve and he was thirteen. We signed some document marking the halfway point in our betrothal contract."

"So you're going to be married at twenty four?"

"Yes."

"But that's a ways away!" Odd laughed.

"For you, maybe. But it's not so simple, Odd. I've tried really hard not to get involved with anyone; not to get attached because I knew that in a handful of years I would be getting married to fulfill a political alliance."

Odd scratched his head. "But if your brother kicked you off of your Planet, the shouldn't the contract be void?"

"I am still royalty no matter where I am or if my Throne is taken from me." Great gods he was making this hard. "The contract was signed before that fact, so it is still legally binding within our laws. If I reach my twenty fourth birthday without regaining my rightful status, I will simply become an adopted princess of the Burning Star when I marry Prince Apollo."

"What about your sister?"

"As Head Heiress to Saturn's Throne I am more valuable in the political sphere. But last I heard, Dianne was being contracted to the Prince of Mercury."

Odd sat on the bed, deep in thought. He stayed silent for so long that Luna feared that he would just get up and leave without saying another word. But he came over and helped her up out of the chair. They stood like that, holding hands and looking at one another, for a moment.

"I don't care if you're contracted to be married or not," Odd confessed. "and I don't care how soon you think those bells are going to ring. I'm here and I'm not letting you go."

"Even you can't stop this marriage, Odd, it's been decided for nearly two decades."

"Then," he grinned broadly, "we'll just have to make the most of our time together. Even if I have to lose you, Luna, I'm glad I met you."

In all of her years—both on Saturn and Earth—no one had ever said that to her before. To be perfectly honest, Luna didn't even _want _to get married to this Prince that she had only met once in her life. But the second contract that they had signed had been more binding: it had been made in the presence of the Court of Monarchs—every King and/or Queen that then ruled the Planets. To go back on it would disgrace her in their eyes, and so disgrace her royal family and Planet. Luna knew that she couldn't do that to her sister and brothers—she couldn't do that to her people. As Head Heiress it was her duty.

But as a girl she just wanted to stay suspended in that moment, with Odd, holding his hands and exchanging feelings without needing to speak.

* * *

Jeremy burst into the factory early the next morning. Luna nearly jumped out her seat. She had been sitting in front of the factory's main computer all night, monitoring the tower activity in all of the sectors. She had even managed to pull up a limited informational window on Ko. She had fallen asleep in the chair. Odd dozed on the floor behind her.

"Jeremy," she rubbed sleep from her eyes, "what's wrong?"

"Check the screens!" Jeremy ran over and grabbed the back of her chair.

Luna turned to the screen and woke the system up. The edges of the screen were tinged in pulsing red. A black swirl was beginning to form over the digital readout of Sector Five.

"What does that mean?" Odd asked, afraid to voice the thing they all knew as fact.

"Viktor's ready for battle," Luna said grimly.

"Are we?" Jeremy sounded skeptical.

"If we aren't," Luna got up from the chair and walked over to the elevator, "then we have less than half an hour in order to get ready."

* * *

Odd caught up with Luna as she walked purposefully across the main courtyard of the school.

"Luna, wait!" He reached out for her hand.

She looked down at their hands for a moment. "Let go, Odd."

"You said that we'd do this as a team. You haven't even done the spell for our powers yet!"

Luna didn't respond. She knew that she should do the spell. With Odd there, it would be simple to reach out and link the rest of the team. But she also didn't want to do it: it would mean putting them in even more danger than they would have been in on Lyoko. As humans, Viktor would take little pleasure in killing them to get to her; but as Lyoko Warriors in the real world, Viktor would thoroughly enjoy crushing them.

"Luna..." Odd saw her walls go up. He put his hands on her shoulders. "We can do this."

She looked into his eyes. Such sincerity...such hope... Viktor would try and play off of all of them simply because he could. Oh, if only she could just give herself up and spare them all. But that hadn't exactly gone as planed the last time, so who was to say that it would pan out this time?

No. She needed their help just as much as they needed hers. Luna hadn't been able to admit that to herself for a while.

"Okay, let's do it."

"Don't you need the others?" Odd looked around the sparsely populated courtyard.

"No, I can reach them once we start," Luna led him around the corner. "We'll need to sit down."

They sat, cross legged, and faced each other. Luna brought out her laptop and set it down beside them.

"Clear your mind," she instructed. "Think only of our powers and those of the team."

Odd closed his eyes. Luna reached out and touched her fingers to his temples. Closing her own eyes, she used his memories to find each member of the Lyoko team.

_Guys! _She projected.

_Woah! Have you started the spell? _Ulrich's voice echoed..

_Yes. _Luna said. _I'll need each of you to think about your powers. Clear out all other thoughts._

_What if we don't have any? _Jeremy sounded slightly put out.  
_Then think of some._

_Does that mean that we can make new ones? _Aelita asked hopefully.

_No. No new powers._

_But you're letting Jeremy— _Yumi protested.

_I'm going to give Jeremy the same power that he has when he's helping you guys. _Luna clarified. _He'll be able to see the entirety of the battlefield and telepathically communicate with everyone._

_Cool! _Jeremy perked up.

_But you'll have to stay hidden for most of the battle._

_Will Viktor still know I'm there._

…

_Luna?_

_Yes, he will. But I hope to take him down before that happens._

With everyone linked, Luna began the spell. Her words came out in a language that Odd could not understand. Power hummed around them but he did not open his eyes to see what color it was. As each word left her, Odd could feel his body changing slightly, until he felt his arms ripple with the strength that his arrows normally gave him. Through the link, he was able to feel the others gain their powers, too.

"So mote it be," Luna's last words were in English.

She let go of Odd's temples and swayed a bit in her seated position. Stabling herself, she looked over at Odd, who eyed her with concern.

"Did it work?" she asked.

Odd nodded.

"Then let's go kick some ass."


End file.
